Creating Filters (Rules) in Gmail

This video (below) shows the process for creating filters (rules) within Gmail. These filters allow you to automatically apply labels (folders) to messages, delete messages, and perform other actions based upon the message sender or content.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Select a message that has some characteristic that you’d like to trigger a filtering rule:

Examples include: messages from a certain sender, messages containing a certain phrase, messages with a certain word in the subject line, etc.

Click the “More” button above the message list, and then choose “Filter messages like these”

Enter the criteria you want to filter on. The default choice is “From:” (sender)

Click “Create filter with this search”

Choose the action you’d like the filter to take. Some common options include “Apply the label” (which adds the message to a folder, “Delete It”, “and “Always mark as important”.

You can opt to click the “Also apply filter to x matching conversation(s)”, which will automatically apply the filter to any matching conversations that are already in your inbox.

Click “Create Filter”

At this point, your filter has been created and is active. To manage existing filters, click the settings gear above and to the right of the messages list, click “Settings”, click “Filters and blocked addresses”, and edit or delete existing filters from there.